Weekend Confessions
by BooBar
Summary: Set just after HBP. Hermione is staying at The Burrows for the first weekend of summer. Many truths and fears are exhanged between friends Hermione/Ron. Bit bit of Harry/Ginny Rated T for safety Writing more on this one so keep a look out for updates :)
1. Chapter 1: Late Night Talks

**Hermione is spendig the first weekend of the holidays at The Burrow; set after HBP**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE HARRY POTTER SERIES. This little bit of writing has come from me though**

It was late on the Saturday evening of their first weekend back at the Burrows for the summer. Hermione's parents were away up in the North so Hermione had decided to spend the first part of the holidays with the Weasley family. She knew she was always welcome there and if she had any doubts then she would only need to listen for Molly's voice echoing the same thing back to her. Ron and Ginny's parents had turned in early after a busy day of unpacking and washing all of their children's uniforms, of course they had magic that could do this for them but Mrs Weasley rather liked being a busy mum and Arthur was always willing to help out.

The clock struck 10 and the firewood was sparking and letting off scents that reminded them of the Gryffindor common room. Ron was sitting in the small armchair looking through a book of the greatest Quidditch players of all time, while Hermione (obviously reading), Harry and Ginny sat on the larger sofa in front of the fire. It had not been long since Harry and Ginny had become and official couple and as much as he put on a brave face in front of his family, Ron still wasn't sure about it all. He knew that she would be safe with Harry but still, his elderly brother instincts started to kick in and he often had thoughts running through his head along the lines of 'If he even slips his hand near her bum, I'll punch him all the way back to Surrey.' Every few minutes or so Hermione would see Ron look up from his book and check where Harry's hand placements were; she also caught him looking at her a few times with a sleepy grin on his face. At the present time, as Hermione sat with her feet tucked underneath her, Harry had his arm round the back of the sofa just behind Ginny's head and she rested her ginger hair on his shoulder, making Ron squirm a bit. Ginny didn't take much notice of Ron's reactions as she was used to all the teasing (she had 6 older brothers and ignored most of the things they said anyway) but Harry had always been a bit cautious knowing how protective Ron was over his sister, and although he wasn't one to show his true feelings, Harry knew that he - in Hermione's words - would have to keep the snogging to a minimum to avoid a black eye.

On the inside Hermione was laughing as she could see how wound up Ron was getting seeing Ginny and Harry being just a touch affectionate with each other; she has encouraged them for as long as she could remember, after all, they were two of her best friends and she knew how much they liked each other. The bell chimed as the hand hit half past on the clock and Ginny yawned as she said her goodnights to both Hermione and Ron.

"I'll walk you up to your room" Harry said as he pulled her off the sofa and took her hand in his leaving the lounge and heading up to the stairs. Without any hesitation, Ron leapt from his seat, threw his book down and followed them, waiting around the corner so he could spy on them without being seen.

"Honestly Ronald, they will only kiss goodnight, nothing to go crazy over" Hermione said from her comfy position in front of the fire.

"Shh! You'll blow my cover. I swear if I see any tongues going into anyone's mouths, I'll kill him."

Hermione turned with a smile on her face and went back to her book, knowing that however Harry and Ginny chose to say goodnight, it would be too much for Ron to deal with. She heard doors closing as she came to the conclusion that Harry had too decided to turn in.

"Honestly," Ron said as he came back to sit on the sofa next to Hermione, "Who does he think he is, acting like Romeo in that muggle play you were going on about the other day?"

"I thought you were okay with it?" Hermione asked as she turned one must have been the last page in her book.

"I thought I was but I dunno, just the thought of him kissing her and doing other stuff, holding hands all the time, and the way they smile at each other"

She lay her book down and turned so that she was facing Ron with her legs crossed.

"Yes Ron because smiling obviously means they're having sex" Hermione said in a rather sarcastic tone.

"I never said anything about s-, wait! Are they having sex? If they are then by Merlin's beard I'll-"

Hermione cut him off as she placed her finger over his mouth. "Honestly Ronald, you need to relax. As much as you hate him right now, Harry is a good guy; he would never overstep any boundaries with Ginny, he cares about her too much to do anything like that."

"He really cares for her?" Ron asked in an awkward, yet caring tone.

"Yes and if you would look into his eyes instead of where his hands are, you might find that he is only ever staring at Ginny's face and nowhere else. He really cares for her Ron and sooner or later you're going to have to get used to it."

Ron looked down into the fire and rested his arms on his knees as he leaned forwards. He had a concerned look on his face, or maybe a thoughtful one – Hermione could read him as well as anyone but at this moment she couldn't quite tell what was he was thinking.

"Look," Hermione leaned forward and placed her hand on his knee, causing Ron to turn a shade of red that nearly matched his hair, "You've got nothing to worry about. Yeah, when Ginny was with Dean they were arguing a lot but he never looked at her the way Harry does."

"No, he just snogged her face off in public and touched her." Hermione knew that he was referring to the many times they had seen them together in The Three Broomsticks. They were both quiet for a few minutes as they reminisced on the time when Hermione had made the suggestion of Ron snogging her and how Ginny would be okay with that. Neither knew how vivid that memory was in the other's head. Whether they liked to admit it or not, both Ron and Hermione had imagined themselves kissing at least once.

As he shook his head in a plea to get images of Harry and Ginny out of his head, Ron turned to Hermione, her eyes were reflecting the warm glow of the fire light and her hair and gone even more frizzy from the time of day. She was still looking at him with her hand on his knee, and as she began to speak she found another voice speaking over the top of hers.

"I-", She pulled her hand off his knee, starting to feel inappropriate.

"We… Sorry 'Mione, you were saying"

"I was just about to say I should probably go to bed. My hair is almost at its worst and I couldn't put you through that." She giggled as she tucked it behind her ear and got up of the sofa to walk across the room to the stairs. Just as she crossed in front of Ron, he held out his arm and caught her hand in his. She blushed slightly at the touch of his hand but hoped the glow of the fire would mask it.

"Your hair looks fine, and you look beautiful, as always" Ron said with a smile on his face. He made his way back to his original seat and picked up his book once again. "Oh and Hermione?"

"Yep" she said as she turned around, her hair flicking almost in slow motion.

"Thanks for the chat. I can always count on you to make me feel better"

"Of course Ron, anything for you." she blushed again as she heard those words out loud. Ron nodded and smiled, as their eyes locked on to each other's from across the room.

"I guess I'll get back to reading my book then" He said, snapping out of his daze.

"Wow," Hermione giggled, "Words I never thought I would hear you say. Goodnight Ron, sweet dreams."

"You too Hermione, sweet dreams." He replied, his words as soft as hers had been. He watched her climb up the stairs, thinking of only how beautiful she looked as she closed the door to Ginny's room.

He looked at his watch and read 11.30pm, early for Ron to go to bed but he knew he would probably be playing quidditch all day on Sunday and he would need the rest. He passed various rooms as he made his way up to bed but found himself stopping outside his sister's bedroom door, which had been left open just an inch. Through the gap he could see the moon lighting up Hermione's face and as he caught a smile he could only hope that her dreams were sweet indeed, that she would be in a world where nobody could get to her, a world where she was safe.

After changing into his pyjamas, he lay on his bed with his hands behind his head picturing that same image of Hermione and him kissing in the booth of The Three Broomsticks, and with that locked in his imagination, he fell into a deep sleep.


	2. Chapter 2: Girl Talk and High Flyers

**Chapter 2: Girly chats and high flyers.**

The sun had just begun to rise over The Burrows in the early hours of Sunday morning and Hermione had been up and dressed in a red polka dot summer dress that stopped just before it reached her knees for a few minutes. She left Ginny fast asleep in the room they had been sharing and made her way downstairs. Hermione had always been an early riser and was as pleasant as a teenage girl can be at 6am. Unable to keep herself occupied in the house, she grabbed a flask of freshly made tea and went for a walk around the grounds. It was a gorgeous summer day outside with a cool breeze blowing, and the sky several shades of blue and orange as the sun rose higher in the sky. As she passed the broom shed she couldn't help but think of how Ron and Harry would be putting them to good use today flying high into the sky, racing like small muggle boys would on their bikes back near her home. She smiled to herself and carried on walking. She wasn't really sure where she was aiming to get to but after another 5 minutes of walking, she found a bench just in front of some fencing and with her flask in hand, she sat down and took a small book out her bag that rested on her shoulder.

The others in the house were beginning to wake as they smelt pancakes and waffles and bacon and sausage coming from the kitchen. Molly had risen shortly after Hermione and made her way straight to the kitchen knowing that everyone would be looking forward to a hearty breakfast. She thoroughly enjoyed having all of the kids around her. Fred and George were due to arrive any moment after closing up the shop for the morning to spend time with their family. At about 8 o'clock almost all of the Weasley clan were seated at the table and getting stuck in to their morning feast. Harry and Ginny sat next to each other, Fred and George opposite them with Arthur and Molly at either end of the table. While fussing with the food, Molly scanned the table and the kitchen for any signs of Hermione. A door closed above them and they heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Is Hermione not feeling well today Ginny? She's normally up and about by this hour?" Molly asked in a concerned tone.

"Her bed was already made when I woke up. I expect she's gone for a walk, looks like she's taken my muggle flask off the counter too."

"Should I go and look for her? Don't want her to miss breakfast."

Ron made his way down the last few steps into the kitchen and as he made his way round the other side of the table, he caught the last part of his mum's sentence. He hoped Hermione was okay, especially after the brief moment they shared last night. He didn't want her to feel awkward around him, and he was worried about her.

"I'll go and look for her. I'm standing up anyway" Ron told his mother as he picked up his jacket and put on his boots over his pyjamas.

Harry and Ginny exchanged a look between them, almost letting out a giggle at Ron's enthusiasm to see Hermione. Sure the whole family knew that Ron liked her but only Harry and Ginny had spent enough time around them to know just _how _much he liked her.

"Thank you son" She said with a smile on her face as she served the twins another pancake each.

Walking around the grounds of the house, Ron noticed a small set of footprints making their way to the back of the house, passed the broom shed and a box of balls they used for quidditch practice and as he turned the corner he saw her. Hermione's hair was glowing under the low sun and her attention had been captivated by the book she was reading. He walked over quietly trying not to disturb her reading and tapped her lightly on the shoulder.

"Oh, Ronald, good morning" She said as she placed her bookmark into the page she was reading and put the book away to give him her full attention.

"Morning 'Mione. Mum's had breakfast ready for about ten minutes and Fred and George are here too; arrived in the fireplace about half an hour ago. She didn't want you to miss the food; we've got pancakes and everything!" He had an excited look on his face that was only expressed when food was involved.

"Ha! Oh Ronald you get way too excited over your mum's cooking. I guess I just got lost in my book." Ron let out a little smirk and held his hand out to help her off the bench. She took his hand in hers and was pulled up. She could feel the strength that Ron had but also the softness of his touch, making her go a bit weak at the knees.

They made their way back to the front of the house and Hermione spoke of the book she had spent the last few hours reading. It was a muggle book called 'The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe' by a guy called C.S. Lewis. She explained the plot to Ron and told him how she could relate to the main character of Lucy, who had been brought up in a normal family in England and had discovered a magical land full of talking creatures and a whole other realm of good and evil. Ron understood how she could love this book so much. He had noticed that when she spoke of books she loved, she would get a sparkle in her eye; almost like all the joy and magic she felt whilst reading had to make its way its way out of by using her eyes.

Inside the house, Harry and Ginny had finished their breakfast and were about to go and get changed when they saw a head of ginger hair and a head of brown, barely brushed brown hair coming towards the front door. They were both laughing and Hermione kept pointing the book almost as if she was explaining something that Ron just couldn't get his head round. It always made Hermione smile when Ron tried to understand things of the muggle world. His sister and Harry looked out the window and as Harry hugged Ginny from behind, he cleared his throat and began to speak.

"Do you think they will ever tell each other how they feel? I mean, she's a genius but can't see how much he loves her and sure Ron is strong and brave…"

"Unless there are spiders or a grim involved" Ginny interrupted.

"Well yeah, but he can't man up and tell her he loves her. Why doesn't he just kiss her?" He asked as Ginny turned her body so she was now facing him wrapped in his arms.

"Oh like I did with you in the room of requirement you mean?" She replied in a tone that made Harry think very carefully about his next words.

"Yeah! Well, no, I mean…You know what I mean." He said with a sheepish grin. With that, she kissed him on the cheek and they both made their way to their bedrooms; Harry changing into his quidditch training gear and Ginny into a pair of dark blue shorts and a top with three-quarter length sleeves and some flat canvas shoes.

The twins were already out on the grounds warming up on their brooms when Ron and Harry made their way through the kitchen and out into the garden. Hermione, now having brushed her hair, was helping Molly in the kitchen. She liked talking to Ron's mum, it made her forget that her parents were away and she found washing up very calming, as did Mrs Weasley.

"Go on dear, you've helped enough. Go on and get Ginny and laugh at my sons trying to knock each other of their brooms." She placed a hand on Hermione's shoulder and nodded her head towards the front door.

Ginny was already out watching them, her eyes following Harry as he flew on his broomstick, being chased by Ron.

"You not playing today Gin?" Hermione asked as she sat down with her legs to the side of her.

"Nah, thought I'd let them have a bit of fun. And we all know I show them up when I play." The girls both broke into laughter and caught the attention of both Harry and Ron as they stopped mid race in the air.

"Come on you two! We'll never win a world cup if you're both staring at girls!" George shouted from around 50 meters in front of them. They both snapped out of their fantasies as George threw the quaffle between them to Fred.

Back on ground level, Hermione and Ginny had been having some banter of their own.

"So, you don't like him then?"

"Ginny, he's your brother. I'm not going to talk about him to you." Hermione went a shade of pink that couldn't have come from sunburn.

"So you _do _like him? And it's never stopped you before when you were slagging him off behind his back about snogging Lavender"

"It's different now. There's more to it than that." She paused and took in a deep breath. "Oh, Ginny I don't know how I got here. He does my head in and he's so cocky and annoying but then…every time he smiles at me my knees go weak, and the way when he laughs, his whole face lights up. Even this morning when he held my hand to help me off the bench, my heart skipped a beat, just at the touch of his hand."

"Sounds like you more than like him 'Mione."

"That another thing. Whenever he says my name around you lot, he says it in his normal low voice but when it's just the two of us, he says my name so softy and quietly, like another person has taken over his voice."

At this Ginny smiled and looked up at Ron as he laughed against a backdrop of nothing but pure blue skies.

"You know, I've never seen Ron happier than when is talking about you, or when he gets the seat next to you at the dinner table. It's kind of sickly sometimes when you're with your parents and all he does is mope about the house, looking at old pictures of you from first year."

Hermione laughed at this, knowing how much younger they all looked back then and how she and Ron would do nothing but argue with each other; much like they did now. They both lay back watching the boys fly across the skies above them chatting about various girly things they could only speak of when the boys weren't around. The truth was they were both like the sister neither of them had ever had.

There was a loud crash in the distance around ten minutes later where the boys had put there brooms away and knocked over various things in the shed. Harry and Ginny held hands and went inside while the twins picked up the mess they had made, leaving Ron with sweat on his face to accompany Hermione into the living area.

"Ron, you've got dirt on your nose; just there" she placed her finger on the right side of his nose and smiled innocently.

"That sounds somewhat familiar. Thanks" Ron chuckled as he wiped the mark off his face and put an arm around Hermione pulling her into a side hug. They both stopped and looked at each other as their skin made contact once again and in an awkward moment of them both talking over each other, making excuses to go their opposite ways, Ron took off for a shower and Hermione stood there watching him run up the stairs, two at a time with a spring in his step. She held her face knowing that she must have gone red.

"Honestly, you two" Ginny sighed as she passed Hermione in the hallway giggling to herself as she entered the kitchen.


	3. Chapter 3: Save the last dance for me

**Chapter 3: Save the last dance for me, 'Mione**

That afternoon Molly sent the foursome to Diagon Alley to fetch a few bits and pieces for that evening. She had decided to hold a very early birthday party for both Harry and Hermione, seeing as this would be the last time they would see each other for a while as Hermione would soon be joining her parents back at her own home. Fred and George were due to go back to the shop but after hearing about the party, they decided to keep the shop closed and spend the rest of the day at The Burrows.

With the list in Hermione's bag, Ron, Ginny and Harry followed in her footsteps making their way up and down the alley collecting each item from chocolate frogs to litres and litres of pumpkin juice and ticking them off as they were purchased. Ron had been given some extra money by his father so he could get Harry and Hermione a present each. The Weasley's didn't have much money, but they loved Hermione and Harry as if they were their own children and took great pleasure in buying them gifts for their birthdays. Now, Ron wasn't the most subtle of beings and after trying for over an hour to get Hermione and Harry to go away, he ended up blurting everything out about the surprise presents, much to everyone else's amusement. He and Ginny made their way to the clothing store and with Ginny's knowledge of sizes and colours; she picked out a new shirt for Harry, a green colour which she knew would bring out his eyes, and a purple knee length dress which would highlight her best friends figure. She didn't mind adding a bit of extra money to the dress, after all she loved Hermione like a sister and she hoped it might encourage Ron to make a move.

After a few hours of setting up and decorating, Molly and Arthur had created a beautiful setting for the party. There were fairy lights of every colour hanging above the fireplace, around the kitchen and living room ceiling and streamers of matching colours around the rooms and on the stair railings; it truly was a magical sight to behold. They had given the presents as soon as they returned home as they knew both Harry and Hermione wouldn't have anything to wear for the party.

Ron and Harry were getting changed in the bedroom they shared when Ron began to freak out.

"Honestly mate, I'm acting like such a girl; what do I wear?"

"There are words I thought I would never hear you say." Harry said as he pulled on a pair of black trousers.

"I'm serious. It's alright for you; you've got that new shirt! Does look good mate, my sister has good taste in clothes." He carried on throwing shirts of every colour and style over his shirt when he leaned over and picked one up from the bottom of his wardrobe. He picked it up and shook it out displaying all the creases and he turned around and held it in front of Harry.

"What'd you think of this one mate?"

"Yeah, looks good to me. Why are you being so fussy over what you're gonna wear anyway? It's not even your party?"

Ron studied the shirt, wanting to look his best for Hermione. He didn't know how much longer he would be able to hold in his love for her and he hoped that tonight they may have a second alone; plus he knew Hermione's dress was purple. Would she think he had purposely matched to prove a point or would she think it was a happy accident? He couldn't tell Harry this was the reason for his panic, although he had a sneaky suspicion that he already knew.

"You're my best friends; I wanna look good enough to stand between you for that picture mum takes of the three of us each year. I saw dad with the muggle Polaroid camera earlier, tonight's the night!" The boys laughed off their fashion dramas and Ron threw on the purple shirt with a pair of black skinny jeans and his favourite pair of black shoes.

The girls were funnily enough having some drama of their own.

"It looks like a toilet brush! Why is it that I can never get my hair to look half decent when I want it to? It always goes crazy and this humidity doesn't help either" Hermione shouted as she stood in front of the mirror a brush in one hand with the other stroking her dress. She kept looking in the mirror then down at her new purple dress which as Ginny knew it would, made her look girly and curvy and beautiful. It was strapless and fell just above her knees.

"You look amazing, stop fussing. And throw me that brush, we can sort your hair out" Ginny, dressed in a black number with a pair of silver heels, took the brush in her hand and styled Hermione's hair so that it was half pulled back in a little pony tail with curls that settled just past her shoulders.

About ten minutes later, all dressed and in a pair of purple heels she had borrowed from Ginny, Hermione and her best friend made their way out of their bedroom and down the stairs where music was playing on the old muggle record player. Molly and Arthur were standing at the small buffet table that had been set out for the event and the boys were chatting and laughing with Fred and George about how long it takes women to get ready. At that moment, the girls entered the room, catching the attention of everyone else in the room. Molly simply smiled and linked arms with her husband, tapping his arm while the twins had carried on laughing and joking about something they read in the quibbler. Ron and Harry stared at them, as if they were rare jewels that had just been laid out in front of them. Ron (again being the less subtle of the two) stood there with his mouth open, hands in his pockets. Harry took hold of Ginny's hand and thanked her for picking the shirt.

"Fits perfectly. I see my hidden talent must be shopping."

"Ha, maybe Gin. You do look lovely as always. Oh and good thinking on 'Mione's dress. He won't be able to resist her in that" Harry winked as they headed to the food table.

Across the room Hermione had shared a laugh with the twins and thanked Molly for all the work she had put in to making the house look how it did. Ron was choking up, not knowing what to say to Hermione. Sure, he had seen her at the Yule ball but he was too mad at her for going with Victor that he refused to believe that she was as breathtakingly beautiful as he had ever seen her before.

He stood there finishing off a glass of pumpkin juice as Hermione made her way over to him. His palms were sweaty. His throat was still dry, even after drinking the juice. He noticed how perfectly his shirt colour matched Hermione's dress and this brought a smile to his face.

"Good evening, Ronald." Hermione was equally as nervous. She had spent most of her time getting ready thinking about how Ron would react to her dress. She wanted to look nice, of course, but this would be one of the last times she would see Ron for a while and she wanted to look her best, for him.

"You—I—You look beautiful Hermione, really beautiful" He said, making them both blush.

"Thank you Ronald, you look pretty good yourself." She patted his shoulder and stroked his arm, taking a tad longer than she should have as she went over his muscles. "Could've ironed your shirt though Ron. I mean, I'm not going to see you for at least a month; I've got to have a good last image to think of." She wasn't sure just how much she had let on as she said this; she was then, luckily saved by his mom's voice coming over to within a meter of them.

"Right you two, its picture time. Where's Harry?" She asked as she looked across the room. "Oh Fred, be a good son and go and find Harry for me while I figure out how to use this camera." She looked at the camera and decided to take a test shot before to make sure she wouldn't mess up her annual picture.

"Right, Hermione love, have a picture with Ron so I can test this erm…whatever it is." Ron looked at Hermione and held his left arm out for her to slide in next to him. They both looked at each other with a nervous look and as Ron placed his arm around Hermione, she began to tingle. Through the thin material of her new dress she could feel his fingertips on her left hip and returned the gesture by placing her right arm around his waist. Normally this could be quite awkward as he was so much taller than her, but with her heels on, she could almost look at him eye level. They looked at each other once more, her brown eyes locked on his misty blues. FLASH! The couple jumped and saw that Molly had taken the picture without knowing. They had both also realised what they were doing at the time, staring into each other's eyes, their faces conveying every emotion they felt at that moment. Ron took the picture from his mother's hand and placed it in his back pocket.

"Oh Harry dear, come over, come over. Where were you" Molly asked as she shook the previous photo in her hand.

"Snogging Ginny in the kitchen." Fred said just before getting a pinch on the arm from his sister.

"Yes alright Fred. Come on Harry dear, stand next to Hermione there. Perfect. Right, yes. Now, all get in together." She gestured, moving her hand in as if she was squishing them into the picture herself. Harry stood on the left side of Hermione and put his arm around her waist, purposely above Ron's arm so he had to move it lower down, again causing Hermione to blush as she felt how close Ron's hand was to her bum. Ginny, standing behind them in the corner had noticed what Harry had done and giggled to herself. This is what they had planned in the kitchen before they started well, you know.

Flash!

"Perfect, absolutely perfect kids. Now go and get some food before George eats it all." She passed the picture to Arthur and he cast a multiplication charm on it so that Ron, Hermione and Harry could all have a copy of the picture. After some party games and yet more food, Fred changed the record and he and his brother began to dance, Molly put it down to a day off work and few too many sugary snacks. Arthur held his wife in his arms and they danced together, chuckling and with some very embarrassing singing. Hermione had been sat in the corner for around 20 minutes, reading with a cup of tea in her hand. Ron took in a deep breath and took the ten strides or so to wear she was sitting. He hadn't been able to take his eyes off her all night and found this as the opportunity he had been waiting for to get a bit closer to her.

Clearing his throat, he sat down next to her.

"Do you, erm…do you wanna dance Hermione? This is half your party after all"

She looked up at him with a smile on her face. 'Result!' Ron thought to himself.

"Sorry Ron, I'm not feeling too great; one too many chocolate frogs I think. I'm going to have a lie down. Maybe later"

"Promise?" He said with a look of hope in his eyes.

"I promise" She replied and with that she leaned on his knee to support herself as she got up and headed back to her room. Harry and Ginny were worried. Their little master plan to get them closer together was beginning to fizzle out.

"What're we going to do?" Harry whispered into Ginny's ear.

"Ha, I don't know, let's just enjoy the dance for now. Who knows when we will have another night like this?" She said, resting her head on his shoulder.


	4. Chapter 4: Secrets Revealed

**Chapter 4: Secrets Revealed**

The twins left about 11pm on their mothers orders as they would need to work twice as hard at the shop to make up for the day they had spent at home. Then, in the usual order, Arthur and Molly left for bed with Harry and Ginny close behind. As they made their way up the stairs, they passed Hermione on her way to the kitchen in her favourite pair of purple flannel pyjamas. They smelt like her room back at her parents, sending mixed emotions through her. She missed her mum and dad and a normal life at home but she couldn't bear thinking about weeks, even days without Ron and Harry, especially Ron.

As she made her way to the kitchen, she began to think that she was the only one awake in the house; that was until, she heard slow, quiet music coming from the record player in the living room and saw a mane of red hair over the top of the sofa. Yep, Ron was still awake and this made her stop in her tracks. Since she arrived she had hoped to have a moment with him alone, she knew Harry would communicate with her while she was at home but knowing Ron's laid back, and sometimes lazy attitude, she wanted to talk to him without anybody else around.

Ron could hear the sound of the tap water running and cups and cupboards being moved in the kitchen. He sat there, staring at the fire now knowing that it was his true love just feet away from him.

"Goodnight Ronald." Her soft voice carried across the room and hit his ears bringing him out of his daze.

"Oh, 'Mione; I didn't realise it was you. How're you feeling?" He said with sincerity and concern in his voice. He stood and leaned back against the sofa he had previously been sitting on; his top two buttons were undone, showing off a bit of his muscular chest, much to Hermione's approval.

"I'm feeling a little better thanks. Just came down to get some water. I had a good night though; it was so sweet of your mum to organise this for us. I just guess it hadn't hit me until tonight that I'm not going to see you for a while." She had a look on her face that made Ron's heart ache.

In a bid to try and cheer her up, he leapt of the edge of the sofa and smiled, just as Hermione turned towards the stairs, she heard a chirpy voice behind her.

"Hey, Hermione. We never had our dance; you did promise me." He said with a cheeky grin on his face as he turned the music up just a touch on the record player. At first she wasn't sure about this, but remembering this was the probably the only time they would have alone, she decided to take the opportunity. Placing her half-empty glass on a nearby table, she allowed herself to be swept into Ron's arms, catching her foot on his toe in a mix up of foot placement.

"You may as well stand on them, 'Mione. You need the height after all" He giggled to himself as he held her hands, balancing her as she stepped on his feet. Her eyes lit up at the touch of his hands round her waist, locking his fingers together making here feel very secure in his arms. She reached up and settled her arms around his neck. Their lips were centimetres apart and their hearts began to beat in unison; fast.

"I meant what I said earlier Hermione," Ron almost whispered to her as she looked him in the eye, "You do look beautiful tonight."

"Ron, I took my dress off over an hour ago; now I'm just your average girl in her pj's." She looked so innocent and care free in her purple nightwear and to her surprise, she felt extremely comfortable around him look at what she thought was her worst.

"Well, I think you still look beautiful. Besides, I'll have to get used to seeing you in your pyjamas when we're living with Harry later on in the year. We'll have no secrets then." He smiled down at her and she returned it, tilting her head slightly to the side.

"Tell me a secret, Ronald; something that nobody else knows."

"Okay, erm…that picture that my mum took tonight of you and me; I kept it in my back pocket and put a protection charm on it so it will never be destroyed." This brought a huge smile to Hermione's face and made her heart go warm and fuzzy. He sighed before he began to speak again. "And, I'm scared. I'm scared of what's gonna happen after the summer. I've never felt like…not at home anywhere. Here is home but at school and with you and Harry, that feels like home too." With this her heart sank; I guess she hadn't really thought about all the emotions she would go through travelling on the hunt for horcruxes.

"Your turn 'Mione," He said with a warm, comforting smile "What's your secret?"

She giggled and as the track changed to yet another slow song, she began to think.

"My secret is…I'm scared too; scared of going home to my parents and not knowing what's happening with Harry and you and Ginny." Ron had expected her to finish there so was very surprised when she carried on speaking. He had never known her to open up to anyone like that. Hermione had a similar thought. She had rarely seen Ron get emotional and, was too shocked at how comfortable they both felt talking about such a personal topic. Still with this in mind, she carried on. "When I was little and got scared, mainly of the dark, my mum used to stroke my hair to help me fall asleep. It calmed me down, I guess and yeah." She smiled and let out a little laugh. "I've never told anyone that before, that I was scared of the dark you know. I'm acting like a little kid, I'm sorry. How am I going to cope out there?" Hermione's eyes had filled with tears and a one had escaped, rolling down her cheek, giving Ron the opportunity to touch her skin once more. He brought his surprisingly soft hands up to her face and wiped away the lonely tear.

"You're stronger than you know. Look at all the stuff you've already been through. I mean, you've put up with me for 6 years and you haven't gone _that_ crazy." He said with another warm smile. Hermione loved that she could bring his softer side out of him and wanted nothing more at that moment then to kiss him. She felt vulnerable, yet so safe in his arms and as she looked up into his eyes once more, she clung onto him, embracing him in more than just a hug. Ron took a loose piece of hair in front of her eyes and pushed it back behind her ear, letting his hand slide down her back and stopping just before he reached her bottom.

"We're gonna get through this Hermione; Harry and you and me. Promise me though, if you ever get scared you won't keep the fear locked up. Come to me, Hermione."

Those last words were enough to set the tears off again. With her faith in Ron to keep her balanced, she moved her hands so she was cupping each cheek of his face and placed a soft kiss on his lips. It was so tender and as she pulled her head back, she barely had time to breathe before she was pulled into another kiss. Ron's strength and muscular arms held her tightly as the kiss deepened. After about a minute or so Ron lifted Hermione off his feet and she wrapped her legs around his waist, they moved from the middle of the room to in front of the fire and he placed her down on the sofa she had shared with Harry and Ginny the night before. He lay above her, his hands placed either side of her head as he balanced above her. She pulled down by his shirt, holding him tighter and he wrapped his arms around her once more, allowing his hands to travel all over her body.

"Woah, okay. Maybe we should slow down a bit Ron. Your parents could come downstairs at any moment" She panted as she let lust race through her body. She wanted nothing more than to keep kissing him, all night long.

"I don't care Hermione. I've wanted this for so long. Besides, something tells me that they already know how we feel about each other."

"True." She replied and in a moment of wildness for Hermione, she pulled him closer, kissed him again. She could feel his heart beat against her chest as they lay next to each other, holding each other as if nothing could get to them in that moment. The volume of the record player faded as the last track came to an end, leaving just the sound of Ron and Hermione's panting to fill the silence in the room as they finished kissing.

They lay there on the sofa next to each other, Hermione closest to the fire with Ron's arms around her waist. She could hear the sound of his breathing in her ear and another tear escaped from her eye.

"I love you, Ronald. I know I should've told you before but I guess I wasn't smart enough to realise you felt the same." She rested her hands on Ron's and he squeezed her tighter as if she were about to fall and he was catching her.

"I love you too, have for ages 'Mione." He kissed her on her hair and began to stoke it, hoping it would bring the same calming nature that it had all those years ago. She soon fell asleep and as Ron lay there thinking about Hermione for the second night in a row, he didn't have to wonder what it would feel like to kiss her; he knew. As the fire began to fizzle out, Ron pulled the blanket that was on the back of the sofa over him and Hermione and with that, his eyes closed. He began to dream as he held Hermione close to him, feeling the warmth form her body. He knew that night would be one to remember forever.


	5. Chapter 5: She cried Goodbye

**Last chapter people! Thank you so much for the positive feedback, but sadly I don't feel like I can go anywhere else with this story so these are the closing pages **

**Chapter 5: She cried "Goodbye".**

There was a loud splat sound on the window, belonging to an owl delivering the Monday morning post to the Weasley household; not the greatest alarm clock but still it was enough to wake Ron and Hermione from their deep slumber. They lay on the sofa with the blanket still over them; Ron had stayed in the same position all night leaning against the back of the sofa with his arms around Hermione. Hermione however had woken up during the night due to a bad dream involving her parents and had turned over so her face was resting on Ron's chest and her arms were securely around his waist almost like she was cuddling a giant, muscular, ginger teddy bear. The firewood was burning as Ron opened his eyes looking down at Hermione as she began to wake up. They looked up at each other and smiled.

"Good morning beautiful." Ron said as he as he moved Hermione's loose strands of hair off her face, like he had done the night before. "Man, how mad is your hair in the morning?!"

"Yeah, alright Ronald; yours isn't much better." She shook his hair with one of her hands and laughed.

They heard a loud crash from behind them and both jumped up off their sofa with the blanket falling to the ground and Ron putting a protective hand on Hermione's leg as they shot up. Harry had dropped a cup; Ginny was covering her mouth trying not to laugh along with Arthur while Molly cast a cleaning charm on the floor. Yes, the rest of the house had been awake for some time and had tried their best to be quiet in order to not disturb Ron and Hermione. Earlier in the morning Harry and Ginny had come downstairs and, having seen their best friends cuddled up on the sofa together, had shared a silent high five and she had given him a victory peck on the cheek.

"Morning you two, sorry didn't mean to disturb you but Monday morning post calls." Arthur said in a chirpy voice holding the Daily Prophet in one hand and a cup of what must have been hot judging from the steam rising.

"It's okay," Hermione said in a rather embarrassed tone trying to pat down her messy hair, "We really shouldn't have slept in so late. I should go and change my clothes, don't want to go back home still in my pyjamas." She let out a nervous giggle and made her way to the stairs giving Ginny a subtle grin as she passed the dining table.

"Yeah, I'll come with you." Ron said not realising how bad it sounded to the others. "I mean I need to get changed anyway." He heard Harry starting to laugh "Shut up, Harry" Ron said with a smile, as he followed in Hermione's footsteps. Ron caught up with Hermione (as he was taking the stairs two at a time it wasn't difficult to make up the difference) and grabbed her around her waist lifting her up. He twirled her around holding onto her hand lightly and kissed her.

"Good job we didn't do that downstairs." He said as he placed another soft kiss on her lips.

"Ha, I can't believe we slept together." She had a sudden moment of realisation at what she had said and her face turned as red as Ron's hair. She let out another nervous laugh just as she had a few minutes ago. "I mean, ha, as if I just said that." She covered her face with her hands, not keeping them there long as Ron locked his fingers in hers and brought her arms back down to her side, still holding them.

"After the way you kissed me last night 'Mione, I think the innocent 'good girl' image is gone forever. Seriously how did you learn to kiss like that?"

"Honestly, I've never kissed like that. Me and Victor would kiss but only a peck on the cheek or he would kiss my hand, he did that a lot. Maybe my lips just knew what to do when they touched yours." She smiled and shrugged her shoulders tilting her head to the side. "I really should go and get changed Ronald, I just don't want to let you go…and no, you can't 'help' me get dressed." She looked at him in the eyes as she said those last few words with a look in her eyes that Ron understood meant she was serious. She cupped his face in her hands and kissed his lips before shutting the bedroom door.

Downstairs, the rest of the house were discussing magic's newest couple.

"Seriously, it's about time they were together. You should've heard all the arguing they used to do at school. All those emotions they were trying to fight. Good thing they've finally sorted it."

"Somehow Ginny, I don't think they will ever stop bickering. They find it more fun than any couple I've ever known" Harry said as he helped himself to another piece of toast."

"Well, I've never seen my boy happier than when he is with Hermione. She's truly the best thing that has ever happened to him." Molly concluded the conversation with this and the others nodded in agreement.

Arthur left for work at the ministry shortly after breakfast, kissing Molly on the cheek and wishing everyone a good day as he often did. Harry and Ginny, already dressed and fully awake, cleared the table then headed outside on the brooms for half an hour of flying. In Ginny's room, Hermione was packing up her clothes, folding each item almost perfectly when she heard a knock on the door.

"Y'alright Hermione? You've been in here a long time." Ron asked as he stepped foot in the door.

"Yeah, I'm just trying to pack everything in before I head back home. Fancy helping?"

"If I said no, would it make you stay longer? I mean, do you have to go this morning?" Ron asked as he sat on her bed before finally giving in and passing her some of t-shirts.

"I wish I could stay longer, but I haven't seen my parents in months Ron. And as much as I love you and I love being here, I need to find some normality with my mum and dad."

"You just said you loved me again." Ron smiled and took her hand as she threw the last few tops in to her suitcase. He breathed in and stroked her hand with his fingers "I hope it makes me that excited every time you say it."

"I hope so because I mean it with all of my heart, and now I'm not going to see you for weeks." Her eyes began to fill with tears all she could do was look down; looking Ron in the eyes would only make her cry again and that was the last thing she needed to do. She failed and the tears began to stream down her face.

"Hey," Ron said softly as he pulled her onto his lap, cradling her in his arms, "It's not like I'm going off to war. I'll be here for a bit yet and then you will get to see me every day and who knows, I might even pick up a quill and write to you over the summer." He rubbed her back with his one hand and smiled up at her, which he was pleased to see was returned to him.

"Oh, well I am a lucky girl." She said with the sarcasm and smile on her face. "Okay, I'm not going to get upset, I'm strong and I can cope with not seeing you for a few weeks. I've done it for the last 5 summers." She stood up and wiped her tears away as she zipped up her suitcase.

"That's my girl," Ron said lifting the suitcase off the bed and wrapping her in a side hug as he kissed her forehead.

The gang stood there in the living room all ready to say goodbye to Hermione. Harry and Ginny were slightly dusty from the brooms they had been sitting on. She said her farewell to Hermione and hugged, sharing a joke or two. She was then swept up in a hug from Harry who promised he would write at some point during the summer. "You better" was the reply he got; and a kiss on the cheek. She then came to Molly and thanked her for her hospitality and for the dress which she promised she would take good care of. Molly gave her a warm hug that only mothers can give and asked her to send her best wishes to Hermione's mum and dad before trotting off the kitchen. Ginny saw the look in Hermione's eyes and held Harry's hand.

"Come on sweetie, we've waited this long for them to get together so let's give them some time, yeah?" Harry nodded at his girlfriend's request and the two waved to Hermione before going back outside to their brooms.

"Well, I didn't think I'd be _this_ emotional saying goodbye to you today" Ron said as he held Hermione's hands.

"I know right, although, we have never had a goodbye after a few kisses and with a couple of 'I love you's" thrown in there.

"Oh God Hermione, I'm gonna miss you so much" He pulled her into a hug and she swung her arms around his waist, "I'm gonna keep it short before I lose any tears so," They now stood face to face still with their fingers locked together, "Have a good time with your parents 'Mione. Be safe and don't go off with any other guys alright? You're mine now" This brought a smile to both of their faces; and with one last embraces and kiss, she made her way out of the front door. She was teary and managed to get out "Goodbye, Ronald", and then with her suitcase and bags she was ready to go.

"Oh and Hermione," Ron said a bit louder than normal, "You look beautiful. And I love you!"

She turned around with a big grin on her face and blew him a kiss which he pretended to catch in the air and put in his pocket and that oh so familiar sound filled his ears. With a 'swoosh' she was gone.

He ran back inside the house, into his room and pulled out a quill with some ink and a piece of paper from his drawer. He began to write his first letter to Hermione, numbering it in the top corner with 'Letter No.1' meaning he had every intention of continuing to send her mail.

Ron signed it with _I'll love your forever my beautiful Hermione xx' _and sealed it with a kiss. He sent it by owl and watched it fly through the air, hoping it would reach Hermione soon.

And then with a sigh, he turned around and rubbed his hands together.

"I wonder if Mum left me any breakfast."

THE END


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